The Importance of InterHouse Unity
by odyssey1
Summary: After the events of HBP the staff of Hogwarts decided to listen to the Sorting Hat's advice and promote InterHouse Unity by giving each student a 'partner' from a different House. Needless to say that trouble is already waiting, right? AU after HBP.
1. Prologue

_**The Importance of inter-House Unity **_

_**Disclaimer: **_This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros. Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_**A/N:**_ A great and huge 'thank you' belongs to **FlairVerona, Madame Tibbles **and** Noesnifunifa**– Beta Readers extraordinaire! I feel like your help has really improved the quality of the story and thank you very, very much for your help, support and kindness. In other words: You ROCK! The most enthusiastic virtual hugs to you :D

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_Oh, know the perils, read the signs, _

_The warning history shows, _

_For our Hogwarts is in danger_

_From external, deadly foes_

_And we must unite inside her_

_Or we'll crumble from within…_ OotP, P.186, British Edition

**oOo**

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"Open it! Open it! Open it!" Ginny Weasley's excited voice filled the Gryffindor girls' dormitory as the energetic redhead jumped up and down on Hermione's bed. "Come _on!_ What are you waiting for?"

Hermione, not sharing her friend's enthusiasm in the least, rolled her eyes and warily picked up the envelope once again. It looked innocent enough, she thought and sighed. Intellectually, Hermione knew perfectly well that bringing unity to the Houses of Hogwarts was – now more than ever – incredibly important, but honestly! It couldn't have come at a worse time! Besides the growing threat of Voldemort's rise to power and the quest for the missing Horcruxes, there were N.E.W.T.s to consider! She did not have the time to go around and play 'Get-to-Know-You' with the other Houses right now. Besides, Hermione thought with a smirk, she already had good contact with the other Houses through Dumbledore's Army. Perhaps - in a swift movement the envelope was suddenly ripped from her hands.

"Ginny!"

The redhead grinned mischievously at Hermione. "I'm dying of curiosity here, Hermione. Who knows? This envelope could hold the name of your one true love!"

Hermione snorted in a very unladylike fashion. "I sincerely doubt that."

"You never know. Perhaps it holds the name of some tall, dark and mysterious Ravenclaw? Or perhaps a sweet, passionate Hufflepuff?"

"Ginny, _please,_" Hermione laughed, "We're only going to interview each other, hand in our assignments and that's it. There's no torrid love affair planned. Besides…"

"Yes. There are N.E.W.T.s to consider!" Ginny said in an uncannily accurate impression of Hermione which made both girls laugh. "Really now," the youngest Weasley smiled, "I think it's about getting into touch with people from the other Houses. It'll be more than just interviewing each other. It's about – well – getting to know each other. As people. And individuals. It's exciting, come to think of it."

"That's easy for you to say. You and Luna are already great friends!"

Ginny nodded solemnly. "Which also rules out all those torrid love affair possibilities. But _you_, my dear Hermione, let's see what fate has in store for you!" Happily, Ginny ripped open Hermione's envelope and looked at the card inside. Her smile faded. She blinked.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Ginny? Who is it?"

Ginny blinked again. And frowned. "Have you ever heard of a Theodore Nott?"

**oOo**

"NO!" A shriek tore through the silence that usually filled the Slytherin common room and sent Millicent Bulstrode's cat scurrying for cover. "I will not, most definitely NOT be partnered with that…that..!" Pansy Parkinson gesticulated wildly as words failed her. Millicent's cat hissed softly from beneath a couch, securely hidden behind the skinny legs of one Theodore Nott.

"Problem, Pansy?" the dark-haired youth inquired with a hint of a smile as he picked up the trembling cat and started scratching its ears. Pansy whirled around to face him and the cat pressed itself deeper into the security of Theo's warm stomach.

"Problem? They want me to…to…This _abomination_!"

Theo, who had clearly no idea what the girl was talking about, nodded in silent understanding. "Let your emotions out. Don't keep them bottled up inside."

Pansy, having lost some of her furious momentum, pouted. "Theo!"

"Pansy!"

She rolled her eyes. "Nott!"

Theo grinned. "Parkinson!"

Pansy threw up her hands in frustration. "Merlin, you boys are so immature."

"Says Miss 'Let's throw a temper tantrum'. Very mature, Pansy," Theo kept petting the cat, seemingly at peace with the world. "So, who has got you so excited?"

Pansy's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I am not excited, Nott. I am furious. I won't cooperate. I won't! I won't even talk to him."

Theo nodded once more since it seemed like the most sensible thing to do at the moment. "You'll use sign language then?"

Pansy sat down heavily next to him and gave him a sharp slap on the shoulder. "This isn't funny," she sniffed. "It's tragic."

"Of course it is. Now, who are you partnered up with? If it's so bad perhaps we can switch partners?"

Pansy sighed, the weight of the world obviously heavy on her shoulders. "Who do you have?"

"Granger."

Pansy's eyes widened. "_Hermione _Granger?"

"No," Theo replied in a deadpan voice, "Harry Granger." He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in annoyance. "Of course it's Hermione Granger. How many other Grangers do we have in our year?"

"Well," Pansy suddenly smiled and patted Theo's cheek, "I feel better now. I mean, if you can put up with Know-It-All-Granger, then I can put up with the Weasel-boy, right?"

Theo gave her a dubious look. He had never mentioned that he was willing to put up with Granger.

**oOo**

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Feedback isn't expected but very much appreciated :)


	2. Chapter 01 The Spawn of Evil

_**The Importance of inter-House Unity **_

_**Disclaimer: **_This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros. Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_**A/N**_: Once again I would have been lost without the generous support of my wonderful Beta-readers **FlairVerona, Madame Tibbles **and **Noesnifunifa**. There are no words to express just how much I cherish your help. You are the best:)

**_A/N #02: _**The formatting of the following chapters will be fixed soon!

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**oOo**

_**Chapter 01: The Spawn of Evil **_

**oOo**

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**oOo**

If anything, Hermione had always been a logical and methodical person, so it came as no surprise that her first reaction upon learning her 'partner's' identity was a trip to the library. It had to be good for something that the 'Death Eater-boy', as Ginny had so charmingly named him, came from an old and probably insane family. With hopefully enough of a reputation to be mentioned in books.

Hermione pushed back a few errant strands of her hair – bushy and untameable as ever – grabbed a dusty tome by the name of _Notable Magical Names of Our Times_ as well as _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_ for good measure and headed straight towards her favourite table. Said table was more or less hidden beneath a wall of books dealing with the History of Magic and thus ensuring perfect privacy for Hermione since no one in their right mind ever came near those dreaded things. Pulling out her quill and parchment, Hermione got ready to do the one thing she deemed herself best at: research.

Two hours and a missed lunch later, Hermione's mood had taken a considerable turn for the worse. The Nott family, she had learned, had a history of dabbling in the Dark Arts, with a little madness and every now and then a sociopath sprinkled in to spice things up. According to the books Hermione had consulted – and being the thorough person that she was, she had consulted _every _book that looked even remotely promising – Hermione would find herself facing pure evil. Or the son of pure evil. Whatever. The spawn of evil. She shuddered as she got up and made her way back to Gryffindor tower. She would make sure that she wasn't alone with him at any point. And brush up on some of her defensive spells, just in case.

**oOo**

The aforementioned spawn of evil was currently occupied making soothing noises at a maple tree that grew just near the lake and served as the preferred hiding place of Millicent Bulstrode's cat, Mr. Renfield. Mr. Renfield however, an ill-tempered animal who chose his new alliances on a daily basis, felt that the friendship he had shared with Theo on the previous day had clearly taken up the complete amount of 'Nott-sympathy' for the rest of the week and refused to move.

"Come on, Ren, get back down." Theo carefully stepped a little closer, wondering once again why it was always him who had to coax the cat out of its hiding places. With a wince he remembered Millicent's rather…forceful way of asking for favours and quickly pushed that unpleasant thought far away. "Ren, I'm going to be late, so be a nice kitten and come down." The last plea definitely came out as a whine, Theo thought with a hint of disgust as he warily eyed the uncooperative feline.

Mr. Renfield, despite Theo's best efforts, still showed no intention of coming down and merely hissed in an annoyed sort of way.

"I'm warning you," Theo threatened darkly and glared up at the tree when a girlish giggle suddenly interrupted his carefully woven atmosphere of impending doom.

"I don't think glaring at the tree will work, Theo," Pansy Parkinson reminded her friend in a singsong voice.

Nott turned around and gave her an annoyed look. "I am not glaring at the tree. It's that mad cat!" He gesticulated vaguely at Mr. Renfield, who was hissing and spitting from above.

Pansy raised an eyebrow and approached the tree. "Renny, love?" she cooed in a sugary voice and held out her hands, "Come here, sweets." And, to Theo's complete and utter disgust, the traitorous animal promptly descended into Pansy's waiting arms, purring in a most satisfied way. "There's a good boy!" Pansy was obviously very proud of herself. Theo, however, threw a look of sheer and utter loathing at the cat.

"Scheming little traitor," he whispered, careful not to let Pansy overhear because he knew both from rumours and his own painful experience that the sharp claws of Mr. Renfield were nothing compared to those of the sweet Miss Parkinson. Sighing deeply at the injustice of the world Theo followed the pair back into the castle.

**oOo**

Minerva McGonagall had never asked for the position of Headmistress of the prestigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and if she had indeed once entertained the foolish notion of becoming Headmistress, she surely would not have chosen a time such as this one. Sighing, she massaged her temples against the impending headache that had become an almost constant companion of hers ever since the untimely death of the former Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Fact was that she missed him. Not only his guidance and the semblance of security that it provided but also himself, in all his glorious Dumbledore-ness. Fact was also that she did not have the luxury of giving herself time to mourn for her friend. Half of the student population had not returned to Hogwarts for the current school year – in part because of fear, in part because they had been attacked and were no longer able to attend any school. Another deep sigh escaped the weary Headmistress.

"Tea, Minerva?" A chubby hand holding a delicate porcelain cup came into view.

"Thank you, Horace," she smiled at the small man to whom the hand belonged.

"Ah, my pleasure, my pleasure." Horace Slughorn, newly appointed Head of Slytherin House, took a sip of his own tea and closed his eyes in apparent satisfaction. "Very good flavour, if I may say so. A friend of mine sent it to me from India. Walburga Fairfax, a former favourite of mine. Always had a great taste for flavour that girl."

Minerva nodded politely. Despite his obvious good intentions, she had never really found herself warming up to her colleague's irritating habit of collecting favourites. It was just so…so Slytherin of him. She closed her eyes and for a second merely tasted the tea. It was very good indeed.

Horace however, misinterpreting her gesture, awkwardly patted her arm. "This will work, Minerva. In the end I'm sure that this is the safest way." The small man looked pensive for a while before he continued in a subdued voice. "I just hope it'll be enough to make them realise that –" he gulped, "that they don't have to follow _him._" None of them felt the need to mention that this was particularly important for Slughorn's own House.

Minerva straightened her shoulders and nodded briskly. "Hogwarts _will _stay strong from within. It will." And with a determined look, she picked up her bag and confidently strode out of the staff room. "I believe we have an appointment with the seventh years, Horace."

**oOo**

"Pansy Parkinson."

The name was spoken like it referred to something disgusting one had found under ones shoes. "I mean seriously – _Pansy Parkinson_!"

Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Honestly, Ron, stop making such a drama of it. You're going to talk to her – not marry her, for goodness sake!"

Ron made a strange strangled sound. "But Hermione, she's –"

"Pansy Parkinson, we know." Harry and Hermione replied together as Ron turned purple at the mere thought.

"She has a face like a pug!" Ron whined.

"Ron!" Hermione stopped in mid-stride, "You can't seriously judge a person based merely on their outward appearance! Perhaps deep down she's a nice girl?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Get real. We're talking about Pansy Parkinson here, Hermione."

Hermione considered this for a moment then sighed. "All right. She's horrible. And she did not deserve to become a Prefect!"

Content that all was well again in their world, Harry and Ron nodded sagely. "So," Ron asked while running a hand through his messy hair, "what do you reckon they've got planned for us in the Great Hall?"

Harry grinned. "Interviewing our 'partner,' perhaps?"

Ron pulled a face. "I'm aware of that. I'm just wondering about the _how_."

"I suppose speaking will be involved, Ron," Hermione gave him a stern look but something else had already caught the tall redhead's attention.

"Bloody hell, what did they do to the Great Hall?"

"Will you stop talking like that? You're a…Bloody hell!" Hermione's jaw dropped as she peered around her friend into the Great Hall. "Where are the House tables?"

Illuminated by thousands of hovering candles, the infamous Trio found itself facing a drastically changed Great Hall. The four House tables which had previously separated the Houses of Hogwarts from each other during meal times had vanished. In their place there were dozens and dozens of smaller tables, made to hold four to six people, strewn in no apparent order throughout the Great Hall. There were no longer any banners depicting the crests of the Houses to be found, and merely the long teachers' table remained untouched by the changes.

"This is bloody ridiculous," Ron's voice brought Hermione out of her reverie. "How are we supposed to discuss Quidditch strategies with these small tables? The team will never fit on one of these!"

Harry shook his head in wonder. "I doubt that this is permanent, Ron."

"Oh, but it is," the cheerful voice of Professor Slughorn who had overheard them interrupted. "Now shoo and find a place! It's going to start!" He waved cheerfully at them and ushered them over to a small table which they shared with a couple of excited Hufflepuffs.

**oOo**

Professor McGonagall would have never admitted it out loud, but right here and now – she was nervous. A careful glance to the right brought into view the smiling face of Pomona Sprout, who gave her an encouraging nod. Next to her tiny Professor Flitwick was jumping up and down in excitement and waved his short arms enthusiastically at her. Minerva blinked. For a short moment she thought that she had seen the words "Go Minnie!" appear in sparkly letters. She shook her head and decided that she must have had a liquor toffee too many in the staff room. Dismissing that thought, the Headmistress strode forwards and raised her arms. "Quiet please."

With a certain amount of satisfaction Minerva noticed that her authority had not diminished and that the buzzing sound of agitated chatter of students was quickly replaced by curious silence. She cleared her throat.

"There is no need to stress the fact that this year in Hogwarts – as well as the Wizarding World – is drastically different from what we have ever known. The threat of Voldemort –" The room gave a collective audible gasp at that, and several shocked cries could be heard. McGonagall raised her hands once more in order to restore the silence. "The threat of Voldemort is very real. The Wizarding World is at war, and although Hogwarts has managed to remain somewhat of a safe haven in these troubled times, it has-," Minerva quickly blinked back a few tears that came to her eyes at the painful memory of the loss of Dumbledore, "It has had its own tragic losses which may have hurt it but did not break it. We – that is the governors and teachers of this school – decided to reopen Hogwarts this year in order to provide a safe place for the students and as a sign of hope. Hogwarts has suffered through times like this before and it will prevail once more if-" McGonagall made a pause in order emphasise her next words, "If we stand united and do not let mistrust rip us apart from the inside. I…we all have watched for too long and let prejudices and rivalry put mistrust and animosity between our Houses. This is why we need to communicate again. Hogwarts needs to be reunited."

Stunned silence greeted that announcement; then a hectic murmur filled the room. McGonagall stepped forward once more.

"Don't worry; no one is planning to dissolve the Houses. What I'm saying is simply that inter-House communication will be encouraged." Several sighs of relief could be heard, making Minerva smile. "In order to achieve this means that each of you has been assigned to a 'partner' from another House. You'll be doing different tasks together throughout the year in order to gain some insight into the other Houses. And perhaps – you'll even gain new friends."

"For now, all you have to do is find your partner and talk. And by 'talk' I mean a real, civil conversation," Minerva shot a stern look at Pansy who had pulled a face at the prospect. "And I want you to _listen _to your partner. I expect a short essay on each partner to be handed in on Friday." Collective groaning followed that announcement, and slowly but surely the sound of chairs being pushed back and forth and students calling for their partners filled the Great Hall. Minerva took a few steps back and oversaw the whole scene with a determined look on her face. "Let the games begin," she whispered under her breath.

**oOo**

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**A/N #1**: In case that anybody missed it – which I sincerely doubt – the title was _heavily _inspired by Oscar Wilde's _"The Importance of Being Earnest". _However, the plot isn't even remotely similar.

**A/N #2**: Please allow me a fangirlish SQUEAL!

Thank you all for the wonderful, fabulous, _fantastic_ feedback. I really, really appreciate the fact that you took the time to review and tell me what you think. I really hope that the story continues to live up to your expectations. Thank you all so much for your support. Virtual hugs all around!

Evilez: Thank you! I will!

FinestWinterCold: Thank you for the encouragement hugs. Of course this will be continued, especially since I'm having so much fun with it and the wonderful feedback is so inspiring. Actually, I'm rather surprised that a story with unconventional pairings gets attention at all. You get a double 'Thank you' for that :)

FlairVerona: Is there another fan of Theo Nott here? Oooh! I thought that our poor neglected Theo was completely overshadowed by Blaise (who admittedly is a fascinating character). Anyway, I'm planning a romance between them but will only do it if it seems plausible in the course of the story. If there will be a Hr/T-romance it'll need time to develop more or less realistically. Thank you for your nice comment :)

Mage-Aurian: Thank you for the great review! Ginny is pretty amazing, isn't she? Originally I hadn't planned on giving her a prominent role but she kind of wormed her way into my heart. Just like Pansy. These two have seemingly developed a life of their own ;)

Qohelet: You have no idea how relieved I was to read your wonderfully kind review. I feared that this sounded like just another clichéd story (which are fun in their own way ;) ). I am trying to keep this plot-driven and plausible but please feel free to tell me when I get a bit overboard, ok:)

SamanthaBrookes: Thank you for your kind feedback. I'm very glad that you enjoyed reading it :)

The Angel of Doom: Oh, I definitely will. I have already planned most of the story and it's a joy to write it down. Thank you for your encouragement :)

Themysticalvoicefromupabove: First of all thank you so very much for the kind feedback. Being a fan of obscure romantic pairings I guess you can expect some unconventional stuff here. I just hope you'll like it :)

Yeoldecrazy1: Thank you. More you shall get:)


	3. Chapter 02 Interview with a Slytherin

For disclaimer please see prologue.

**_A/N_**: At this point I would like to express my gratitude to my brilliant Beta-Readers **Flair Verona, Madame Tibbles **and **Noesnifunifa**. They've been a wonderful help. Thank you all so much for your support. I really appreciate it and should start worshipping you any minute now :)

Additional thanks go to **hamadryad11 **who kindly pointed out a few more mistakes. You were very helpful, thank you dear :)

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**_Chapter 02: Interview with a Slytherin _**

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"Not that I'm interested or something, but what do you do when you're not following Potter like some lost puppy?"

Ronald Weasley - Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Prefect and well-respected member of 'the dynamic Trio' as the combination of himself, Harry and Hermione had come to be called – turned purple. "I am not…" he squeaked out, halted abruptly and cleared his throat.

Pansy raised a carefully plucked eyebrow. "Finally hit puberty, Weasel?"

Ron, unable to think of a quick comeback, merely settled for what he thought of as a threatening and superior look; however, judging from the smile that tugged at the corners of Pansy's lips, he got the uncomfortable feeling that he did not necessarily achieve the result he was aiming for. "You may have noticed that I was given captaincy of the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year and…"

"Yes. We'll wipe the floor with you," Pansy smirked, watching the redhead's face redden once again.

"Just like you did the years before, right? Because if I remember correctly, _we _wiped the floor with _you._"

Pansy blatantly ignored the fact that the aggravating Gryffindor had made a perfectly correct comment and kept attacking. "That's because Potter was in charge. Now, however…"

Ron gulped instinctively at the predatory glint in her eyes and quickly went back to his parchment. "Erm…whatever. Look, Parkinson, just write the Quidditch thing down and let's get to the next point, o.k.?"

"Fine. What else do you do in your awfully fascinating life?" Pansy rolled her eyes and played with her quill. Merlin, this was boring! Not even bothering to suppress a yawn, the brunette's eyes sought out the form of her childhood friend Theodore Nott, who – halfway across the room – was facing a very different situation.

**x**

Sometimes life gave you the best opportunities, Horace Slughorn mused. The small professor smiled contentedly as he surveyed the room - his small, intelligent eyes resting every now and then on a particular pair of students before resuming their wandering. Yes, of course he was fully aware that the students were supposed to be partnered completely by chance but the opportunity had simply been too good to pass it up! So Horace did what he had always been most talented at: he connected people. In retrospect, he reflected with a smile, 'adjusting' the names on the parchment when the lots were drawn had been ridiculously easy, and – voilà! – Professor Slughorn's great project was in motion!

He leaned back into his comfortable plush armchair and folded his hands on his vast stomach, moving merely his eyes. There were Harry Potter and Justin Finch-Fletchley. Lots of possibilities. And just over there Blaise Zabini was flirting heavily with a rather flustered-looking Padma Patil. Slughorn grinned, and his eyes rested a little longer on the dark boy. He had never known a more charming and ruthless young man. Never, except back when...Wincing, Horace pushed the unwelcome memory of young Nicodemus Nott far out of his consciousness. What a waste of possibilities! Of talent!

Horace sighed deeply, moving on to the son of the unfortunate man. Theodore Nott, by some cruel twist of fate, seemed to have inherited none of his father's natural charm and spirit. If it hadn't been for the occasional mono-syllabic comment in class, one might even forget that he existed at all. If pairing him up with the most intelligent and curious witch in the whole year wouldn't get the young man to open up, then nothing at all ever could.

Slughorn finally found the objects of his interest seated near the entrance doors. He leaned forward. Could it be? Horace blinked and rubbed his monocle before putting it on again. He blinked once more and frowned. They were already boycotting his project!

**x**

He wasn't talking. At all.

Hermione pursed her lips in disapproval and gave a sniff of disdain. No reaction. She bit her bottom lip in thought and frowned. This was not how things were supposed to go. In order to interact you needed to talk. Or at least look at each other.

She cleared her throat and looked expectantly at the Slytherin in front of her. Nothing. He ignored her! He simply acted as if she didn't exist! Hermione pressed her lips together into a thin line of disapproval and glared at Nott's head. The dark-haired boy remained seemingly oblivious and unconcerned of the impending doom that was heading his way. Briefly Hermione entertained the thought that he might be mute. Definitely a possibility, right? Still, a conversation had to be formed, Hermione mused as she stared stubbornly at the shaggy brown bangs that fell into his eyes while he drew horrible little monsters onto the corners of his parchment. Dark ink was staining his fingers as he furiously added a few fangs here and another pair of claws there.

"Nott?" Hermione's patience was definitely wearing thin by now. She had to find a way to start a conversation before she'd give in to the ever-growing temptation of strangling him with his own stupid tie. So, keeping her eyes fixed on his head, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"You need a haircut."

The scribbling stopped and Hermione suddenly found herself looking into a pair of surprisingly

warm brown eyes.

"This is a bit like the pot calling the kettle black."

Whoa. Hermione's jaw almost dropped in surprise. He could talk! And he had a rather nice voice, too. And…Hermione frowned. Had he just insulted her hair? "Do you have a problem with my hair?"

A dark brow rose behind the curtain of his hair. "Do you have a problem with mine?"

'Not with you hair,' Hermione thought with a hint of desperation, 'But why do you needto have such a sensual voice?'

"Granger? Are you still with me?"

Goosebumps ran down Hermione's spine. How in Merlin's name could such an unpleasant person be blessed with such an extraordinary, velvety voice? She frowned at him. "I liked you better when you didn't talk."

He shrugged and pushed over his parchment.

Hermione blinked. What now? Frowning, she took a look at it. In an untidy scrawl he had written a little basic information about himself – just enough for her to write a paper about it. "And you want the same from me?"

Theo nodded.

Fine, Hermione reflected, the less he talked the better. Wordlessly, she took out her own parchment and started writing.

**x**

This would _not _do! Not at all!

Horace Slughorn did not like it when his plans didn't go as…well, as planned. So, to his complete and utter annoyance he decided that his intervention was needed. All in the name of inter-House communication, of course.

And off he went.

**x**

Theodore Nott's plan worked perfectly. He was determined to keep the contact with Granger at an absolute minimum, and judging from her eagerness to exchange notes on parchment instead of talking, she obviously felt the same way. He allowed himself a satisfied smile at his success and turned around, regarding the other students. 'Inter-House communication!' Theo barely suppressed a snort of contempt at the concept.

"If I am not sorely mistaken, Mr. Nott, a conversation implies talking," an unexpected voice startled Theo. He turned around and suddenly found himself face-to-stomach with his new Head of House. Carefully, Nott rearranged his features into a neutral expression.

"A member of my own House," Slughorn raised an admonishing finger, "I expected better from you. Or perhaps," Horace smiled behind his enormous walrus moustache, "perhaps the beauty of Miss Granger has impaired your eloquence and you find yourself tongue-tied?"

This time Theo really did snort. Beauty of Miss Granger? Little Miss Perfect? That infuriating bushy-haired Know-It-All? Eloise Midgen was more attractive than that!

His incredulity must have made its way to his face because Granger gave him a very dark and antagonistic look while Slughorn's face merely conveyed a far away look. Theo frowned. Surely the professor was planning something.

Finally a satisfied smile spread out over Slughorn's face. Theo was getting distinctly uncomfortable as he just _knew _that nothing good would come out of that. The smile was menacing and way too satisfied for his liking.

"Why Mr. Nott, I do believe that some additional time in the presence of Miss Granger is needed in order to help you to get over your shyness, young man." The smile became predatory and Theo gulped. No!

"No!" Theo blurted out before he could stop himself. Granger gave him a furious look. "What I mean, Sir, is just that…erm…"

"What he means to say, Professor," the Gryffindor's carefully controlled voice interrupted, "is that neither of us has the slightest interest of getting to know the other one better. May I suggest a change of partners?"

This time it was Theo's turn to look hurt. Was he really that boring to her? He stuck out his bottom lip just a bit and gave the bushy-haired girl a look the spoke of purest innocence. "Why no, actually, that is not what I'm trying to say. Truth be told…" A small evil smirk was sent into Hermione's direction, "I'd _love _to learn more about Miss Granger. She's been the object of my hidden fascination ever since I met her, but as you know my shyness has always prevented me from talking to her..."

The look of utter shock on her face was pure bliss. He leaned over and invaded her personal space. "You can close your mouth now."

Theo would never know what the furious brunette wanted to reply since Professor Slughorn, delighted but not deceived by the turn of events, chose this exact moment to put his plan into motion. He gave the teens a bright and seemingly well-meaning smile. "Then you'll be overjoyed to learn that you'll be spending more time with Miss Granger soon. Due to your less than exemplary start at this, I'll give you two the opportunity to get to know each other a bit better even outside of the project." Slughorn definitely felt a pang of satisfaction at the look of sheer terror that crossed Nott's face at the prospect. "You'll be serving detention together. Meet me on Saturday, eight o'clock in my office."

"No!" The protest came in perfect harmony. The kids were already learning to cooperate, Horace thought, ignoring the startled and disgusted looks that were immediately traded between the teens.

"Saturday morning? It's not even a school day!"

"But I need the time to revise!"

Professor Slughorn pushed the comments away with a careless wave of his chubby hand. "Better start talking to each other now, children, or I'll have to add another detention. Have fun."

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**A/N: **Once again allow me to thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I really, really appreciate the fact that you care enough to let me know that you read this. It means a lot to me. Thank you:)

FlairVerona: Thank you once again for your wonderful review. You really manage to make me smile and feel very good about the whole story. I appreciate your opinion on the story a lot and, by the way, if you ever feel in the mood to beta read a story…well, I'm just hinting but I'd really love to hear your opinion on some things I have planned. For now, I thank you once again for your support hugs

JUST ME MYSELF AND I: Thank you hugs :)

Missing Fairy: Thank you for the kind review. I really hope you still like the story despite the rather 'tame' chapter. The next one will be a bit more dramatic – I promise!

SamathaBrookes: Thank you for the encouragement hugs So you're a Draco-fan? I'm afraid I'll only mention him in passing since he has left school and is off with Snape to parts unknown. However, perhaps there might be some flashbacks because poor Pansy misses him a lot. However, I am seriously considering giving Millicent and Blaise more prominent parts. What do you think:)

Sugarbomb53086: Thank you for the kind feedback (on both chapters! SQUEAL! And hugs!). There's not much Theo-Pansy interaction in this chapter but that will change in the next one. It'll get more light-hearted and we'll witness the return of more friendly banter.

Yeoldecrazy1: I hope this was soon enough. I really am trying for weekly updates but particularly this chapter was very stubborn and took me several attempts to write. Anyway, next week chapter three will be up. I hope it'll live up to your expectations :)


	4. Chapter 03 Sluggish Intervention

For disclaimer please see prologue.

**_A/N: _**Once again I would have been lost in the wild and treacherous world of punctuation and wacky grammar if my wonderful Beta-Readers, **FlairVerona **and N**oesnifunifa** had not supported me. You're fantastic, ladies :)

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**_Chapter 03: Sluggish Intervention _**

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'It is a strange thing,' Hermione Granger mused as she walked through the deserted corridors of Hogwarts castle, 'that the more you dread a thing, the quicker it'll come to pass.'

A whole glorious week had passed since her ill-fated interview with Theodore Nott. It had been a week full of sunshine, bright colours, and of spending time outside with Harry and Ron soaking up the splendourous last days of autumn. Hermione had written a short and basically meaningless essay about her interview with Nott ("_He's a seventh year Slytherin who dislikes talking and broccoli."_), then went back into a blissful state of denial as more important things of her daily routine took up the young Prefect's attention. Quidditch season was about to start, which had turned Ron into a nervous wreck (_"It's_ _five o'clock in the morning! We need to train! The enemy isn't sleeping!"_), Ginny had developed a rather surprising interest in Zacharias Smith and Harry – well, Harry Potter was preparing himself for what lay ahead.

Hermione sighed deeply and watched as her breath formed a little cloud of mist in front of her. Just as fate wanted it, the dreaded Saturday morning seemed to mark the end of the beautiful autumn. Instead of a bright clear sunrise, Hogwarts was deeply embedded in thick clouds of mist. The temperature had dropped considerably since last night and Hermione, who had been caught by surprise by the unexpected change, could already feel the tips of her toes grow numb with cold. She despised the cold! And come to think of it, she also despised losing a whole day of revision (N.E.W.T.s were closer than you thought!) because of Nott and his arrogance.

**x**

Taking a shortcut through a tapestry that concealed a hidden door, Hermione arrived at Professor Slughorn's office just on time to witness a rather tousled-looking Theodore Nott making an appearance. She bit back a small smile at the amusing sight of the bleary-eyed Slytherin. Nott obviously wasn't a morning person, and for some reason she had the distinct feeling that Slughorn had taken this into account when he had decided the time for their detention.

Hermione nodded a silent greeting to the young man in question, which was answered politely before being overshadowed by a huge, heart-felt yawn.

"This is too bloody early for me." Nott's voice, sounding even richer and more intense due to his exhaustion, invaded Hermione's thoughts. She closed her eyes and let the warm timbre of his voice wash over her. Granted, she did not like Nott himself (especially considering his parentage!), but he had a voice to kill for. Hermione was female enough to enjoy a good thing when the opportunity arose. Blinking lazily, the brunette watched as Nott ran his hands over his face and groaned.

"Too early, too early, too early…"

She grinned. Apparently, boys will be boys, pure-blooded or not. A very small and rather evil voice in the back of her mind (that sounded a lot like Ginny Weasley) spoke up and suggested various plans that involved Nott reading poetry to her with that sensual voice of his, but a very different noise interrupted that pleasant and dangerous train of thought.

"Ah, good morning, good morning, children." Professor Slughorn, a brilliant example of a morning person, grinned at the pair of them. "I trust you slept well. There's a lot of work ahead."

Ignoring the groan that followed this announcement, the jovial professor turned on his heel, pulled his fur-lined cloak more securely over his shoulders, and waved at the two miserable students. "Come on! Hagrid is already waiting!"

**x**

It turned out that the detention consisted of collecting wooden logs which would be used to build a 'playground' for Hagrid's newest pets, Dugbogs. These creatures looked like chunks of dead wood and preferred hiding among the same when they hunted for their prey – usually small mammals which they attacked with their sharp teeth and finned paws.

So it fell to Hermione and Theo to find a decent amount of dead wood – Good quality mind you! Those Dugbogs are really picky! – and pile it up next to Hagrid's hut. It was straining but monotonous and stupid work and therefore perfect for a detention.

Nott sighed, pushed back the sleeves of his cloak and took out his wand. "All right then. Let's get to work."

"No, Mr. Nott," Slughorn's voice once again crushed Theo's hopes of getting this over with in a quick and preferably clean way. "It wouldn't be much of a detention if there isn't a bit of work involved, would it?"

Theo gave him a blank look. He found that he liked his Head of House less and less and in a corner of his mind resolved to talk to Pansy about some form of retribution. Snape had never dared to -!

"If you would be so kind and hand over your wand, please." Slughorn extended a chubby hand.

"You can't be serious!" Yes, Theodore Nott was aware of the fact that he whined like a petulant child - but Merlin's beard! - this man was _not _taking his wand from him!

Slughorn gave him an infuriatingly understanding look and took out his own wand. _"Accio _wands!"

With a swish, both Theo's and Hermione's wands flew out of their hands and into the waiting ones of Professor Slughorn. "You may fetch them at midday when you've completed your task."

Slughorn turned to leave. "Oh, I almost forgot." He dug deep into his pocket and pulled out his wand once more. Theo's muscles tightened instinctively, and the young Slytherin desperately fought his instincts which told him to attack the man with a wand pointed at him and the Granger girl. Nott took a step forward when he suddenly felt a small, cool hand on his arm.

"Don't." Hermione had closed the space between them and – being more than used to keeping temperamental teenage boys under control – quietly restrained Theo. They shared a long look that spoke of a silent debate, and finally Theo nodded. She was right, this time.

Slughorn grinned and turned around. "Have a nice and constructive day!"

Hermione's hand vanished from Theo's arm, and for a short moment, the young man sorely missed her touch. He blinked against the surprising and unwelcome notion and decided to go for anger instead. Anger was safe. "Professor!" Nott bellowed at the retreating figure of Horace Slughorn, "What did you do to us?"

Slughorn stopped – even though the small man was not far away Theo had trouble making out the form of his teacher in the heavy fog. "A Connecting Charm, Mr. Nott! You cannot move more than a few feet away from each other for. We wouldn't want you to leave each other alone now, would we?"

Theo clenched his fists. Damn Slughorn! He was stuck to Granger!

"But…" Hermione asked contemplatively, "But what if one of us has to go to the toilet?"

Theo swore. He was doomed.

**x**

'It's all in the socks,' Pansy Parkinson mused as she nestled a bit deeper into her nest of thick blankets next to one of the enchanted windows of the Slytherin girls' dormitories. She took a sip of her deliciously hot and steaming cocoa and gazed out into the fog. Really, the choice of socks told you a lot about a man. There were fine silk socks just like the ones that Blaise Zabini preferred or playful toe socks like you could see on Vincent Crabbe. There were men who preferred rough woolen socks or men who didn't like socks at all. Personally, Pansy liked her pink plush socks which tickled her toes when she wriggled them. Really, this was the one thing she had always completely and utterly understood about Dumbledore. That man valued his socks.

Pansy cradled the warm cup of cocoa in her freezing hands and sighed. It was just too bad that Dumbledore apparently had not valued Draco Malfoy enough to protect him. She hadn't heard from her boyfriend since the end of the last term, and though it hurt to admit it – Pansy was worried sick. Especially on days like this one, when Theo wasn't around to pull her out of her uncharacteristically gloomy mood and there was nothing there to distract her. That was what she needed. A distraction.

Pansy, feeling very neglected and melodramatic, sighed once more and gazed morosely out of the window. Due to the fact that students who traditionally lived in the dungeons tended to end up depressed after a certain amount of time, some ingenious Headmaster had gotten the glorious idea to add enchanted windows to the dormitories which could be bewitched to show the view from each real window in Hogwarts castle. Pansy, who had always nursed a certain fondness for watching Quidditch, had – per habit – bewitched hers to show the Quidditch pitch. Not that it made much of a difference since the mist obscured even the dark goalposts. Wherever she looked there was white. White clouds of mist, greyish-white fog rising up from the frozen ground, a red dot on his way to the pitch…A red dot?

Pansy sat up with renewed determination and narrowed her eyes. Was her mind playing tricks on her? Who would be stupid enough to be out in this kind of weather?

A sly grin made its way onto her face as she threw the blankets aside and reached for a thick pullover. Pansy Parkinson had just found herself a distraction.

**x**

By midday, Theodore Nott was thoroughly annoyed. After a quick start, the search for 'quality wood' had proven to be far more difficult than expected. All they had found were dry and withered-looking branches lying near Hagrid's hut. To make things even more complicated, the fog hadn't retreated in the least. Thick clouds of cold mist obscured the view, and miniscule droplets of dew somehow found their way under the students' clothes, soaking them to the bone.

Theo barely suppressed a grunt as he added a few more branches to his pitiful pile of wood. He knew full well that Hagrid would object to them but chose to ignore that particular fact.

"You can't add those." The bossy voice of Hermione Granger broke through the eerie silence that could only exist in the presence of thick fog. Feeling reckless, Theo raised an eyebrow (though Granger couldn't see that under the bangs that were hanging damply in his face).

"Watch me." He threw a particularly miserable-looking branch on his pile and watched in satisfaction as Hermione pressed her lips together so tightly that they formed a thin line of disapproval.

"Nott," she said as if addressing a stupid child, "This is pine. Dugbogs detest pine. What we need is oak. Or beech. Perhaps even sycamore."

"And where do you think we'll get those?"

Hermione pointed into a dark shadow that seemed to rise out of the fog. "Over there."

Theo's eyes widened as understanding set in. "No. No way we're getting close to the Forbidden Forest."

It was Hermione's turn to raise an eyebrow now. With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Theo saw the one expression he had never expected to find on the Gryffindor's face. Hermione smirked. "Watch me." And with those words, the petite witch strode purposefully towards the shadows. Theo sneered.

"Fine! _You_ can go for all I care! But I'm not…Ooh!" It felt as if an invisible string pulled on his insides, and before the startled Slytherin had any time to react, he found himself reluctantly dragged after Hermione. Theo snarled a few expressions that would have earned him another detention but nevertheless found himself helplessly bound to Granger. For a moment, he idly asked himself why the Charm only worked in Hermione's favour, as her voice broke through his thoughts once again.

"It seems like I have a stronger will than you, Nott."

Damn it, Theo swore. That witch seemed to have an answer to everything.

**x**

The mist rose up around the dark trees that marked the edge to the Forbidden Forest. It swirled around their trunks like a living thing, wavering back and forth but never daring to go too deeply inside. There were dangerous things hidden in the darkness.

**x**

**xxXxx **

**x**

**A/N:** The information about Dugbogs was taken from the Harry Potter lexicon which can be found here: http/ For the sake of the plot, I made up a few details about these creatures.


	5. Chapter 0401 A Day Among the Thestrals

For disclaimer please see prologue.

**A/N #1:** A large, huge, enormous **'Thank you' **to my Beta-readers **FlairVerona **and **Noesnifunifa**. As usual your help is virtually priceless. You are brilliant and I'm very grateful that you decided to help me with my little story :)

**A/N #2:** Even though you should by now all have gotten my replies, I wanted to take the opportunity and thank my wonderful reviewers once more. You people are incredibly supporting and I truly appreciate each comment that you make. Thank you so very, very much :)

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**_Chapter 04: A Day Among the Thestrals, part 01 _**

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"Tell me we're not lost."

"We're not lost."

"Good." Theodore Nott relaxed slightly. "So where are we?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. We're lost."

"What do you mean 'We're lost'? Didn't you just say that-?"

"I said that because you asked me to! I have no bloody idea where we are!" Hermione gesticulated wildly - partly in frustration, partly to keep herself warm.

One wrong turn at the edge of the Forbidden Forest had led them right into it instead of keeping them out of harms way. They had been trying to find their way out ever since, but even if it weren't for the fog, which had somehow crept up on them and infiltrated the forest, the sun was almost completely blocked out by the high branches of the dark trees. They were surrounded by the quiet gloom of an eerie afternoon light which illuminated the thick undergrowth the students were currently trying to walk through.

Hermione shivered in her all-too-thin clothing and hugged herself to preserve what little warmth she had left. "Look, Nott, the fact is that we're lost. Let's get over it and find a way to deal with this, o.k.?"

"Oh, wonderful," Theo replied sarcastically, "I _am _dealing with this. And since you're our little Miss Perfect, why can't you tell me how to get out of here? Because if I recall correctly, it was _you _who got us into this mess!"

"There's something wrong with your memory, then. It was _you _who got us detention in the first place!" She shook even harder as she became angry. "Trust me, if I could have picked one person to get lost in the forest with, it wouldn't be you!"

Theo rolled his eyes. "Whereas I would have picked a miserable little Mud-"

Hermione's fists clenched. "Careful there. It's that miserable little Mudblood you're looking at to get you out of here, Death Eater boy." Yes, she knew she was being irrational to play his game, but quite frankly, Hermione's patience had run out several hours ago. Theo, on the other hand, turned pale at her words.

"You know _nothing _about me," he spat out in a low voice.

"A-and you kn-know _n-n-nothing _about m-m-me." She could barely keep her teeth from chattering as she glared fiercely back.

Nott sneered at her. "I know enough to dislike you and…for Merlin's sake, Granger!" Pulling off the most annoyed expression that Hermione had ever seen, he shrugged off his cloak and put it around Hermione's shoulders. She frowned.

"What's that for? I thought you disliked me?" she asked as her freezing body relished the little bit of additional warmth that the cloak provided. It smelled nice. Of old parchment and sandalwood and snobbish teenage boy.

Nott shrugged. "I do dislike you. However, that doesn't mean that I'm going to neglect my upbringing."

She raised an eyebrow. "So your upbringing allows you to mindlessly discriminate against people but won't let you watch me freeze?"

"Something like that. My mum told me never to stand by idly when a woman is in trouble."

"Smart woman. She should have told you not to let prejudices cloud your judgement, either."

"Perhaps _your _mother should have told you the same." Theo gave her a threatening look, though the effect was marred somewhat by the fact that _he _was now shivering from the cold that seeped through his school uniform.

Hermione frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Theo, shivering worse than before, merely rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and presented the insides of his arms to the surprised Gryffindor. They were pale, skinny and rather unimpressive except for the fact that they lacked a certain magical tattoo.

Their eyes met for a long moment and – surprisingly enough – Hermione felt a connection to the unfriendly Slytherin. She had never considered that _he'd _have to deal with prejudice as well. Hermione ran a hand nervously through her hair that seemed to grow bushier by the minute.

"You're freezing," she observed.

"I-I'm n-n-not."

"Yes, you are."

"N-n-no...n-not f-f-freezing at-t all," Theo drew himself up to what he considered a manly and dominant position.

"Oh, so that is why your lips are turning blue?" She shook her head in frustration. He was such a…such a boy! "Come here, Nott!"

His jaw almost dropped. "Erm…w-w-what?"

Hermione gesticulated impatiently. "It's freezing here. And you're freezing your…erm… derrière…off."

Theo scowled. "M-m-my derrière is n-none of your b-b-business, Granger."

She bit back a smile at his scandalized expression. "Theodore…"

"Theo," he interrupted her in a quiet voice. "Theodore is so…I don't know…not me."

"Theo then," Hermione corrected herself impatiently. "There's really no _point_ in hiding behind a false sense of modesty. It's cold. We're both freezing, and it's very probable that we'll have to endure the cold a little longer. Sharing the cloaks in order to preserve body heat is our most sensible option," she rattled down in a business-like voice.

Theo's throat went dry. With any other girl, this would have been like a dream come true for a teenaged boy. The perfect cliché. He sighed. It figured that when something like this would happen to him, it had to be with the most boring and uptight Muggle-born that could be found throughout the school. Somewhere fate was laughing at him, he was sure. Still, being a Slytherin, Theo decided not to look a gift-horse in the mouth and smirked. "Sounds like you do have a certain interest in my derrière, Miss Granger."

The corners of her mouth twitched. "I assure you, Mister Nott, that I have no interest in any part of your body. Your virtue is completely safe with me."

Theo grinned. "Well, in that case…"

He quickly joined her under the cloak, torn between getting closer to the warmth she provided and keeping as far away from human contact as possible; however, his mischievous side emerged once more as he snaked an arm around her waist and quickly pulled her closer to him, before she had any chance to react. Theo brought his mouth close to her ear and smiled. "Take note that I cannot promise that _your _virtue is safe with _me_, Hermione."

The scandalized voice of a young woman screaming "Nott!" could be heard far into the forest.

**xXx**

To be out here in the cold, you had to be either very desperate or very stupid. Or as it was the case with the young brunette woman, who silently made her way up to the Quidditch pitch – you had to be a very, very curious person.

Pansy Parkinson, cursed with a healthy dose of curiosity and enough stubbornness and cunning to find ways to satisfy that particular craving, grinned triumphantly. She _knew _that she had spotted a red dot amidst the mist from her window and – naturally – she had been right.

Some madman obviously defied the unpleasant weather and decided to play Quidditch. This in itself wasn't that much of a feat, thought Pansy, were it not for the fact that he – or she, the thick clothes and the distance did not give her the possibility of discerning the gender of the mad player – played solely on his own. The red dots Pansy had spotted earlier turned out to be a pair of Quaffles that must have been enchanted to attack the goalposts on their own accord, while the lone, dark figure of a Keeper did its best to prevent them from scoring.

Pansy frowned. She knew that no Quidditch player from her House was out here, which led her to the tantalizing conclusion that the madman up there must belong to another House. Her eyes narrowed, as she reached into her robes, and pulled out her Prefect's badge which she fastened – clearly visible - onto her outer cloak. Time to dock some House-points, Pansy thought, looking up at the figure once more.

And then her mouth dropped. That Keeper up there was _good. _Really, really professional level good. Pansy fingered her Prefect's badge thoughtfully and regarded the player more intently. There was really no way of telling who that was, since the distance and the thick woollen cap completely obscured his face, but there was no way around it – that person had talent. 'Well,' Pansy thought with a nonchalant shrug, 'House points can be deducted later.' For now she was content to watch that spectacular Keeper.

**x**

About an hour later the mysterious player had not even slowed down and still hadn't let many Quaffles pass him by. Pansy was amazed. And, quite frankly, she was intrigued as well. How did it come that she had never seen that person during the matches? Wouldn't it have been natural to put a talent like this on one of the House teams? Wouldn't it—oh Merlin, what was he doing?

The player sped up dramatically, rounded the left goal post and with an amazing display of skill blocked the incoming Quaffle with his arm. Pansy stood up in a rush, knocking down the bank she had sat on in the process and pressed her hands tightly on her mouth. That had been _dangerous_! He could have…wait. The Keeper stopped in mid-play and looked around. He had seen her.

**x**

With a juicy 'Splat!' the Quaffle connected with his stomach.

"Bloody hell," Ron Weasley panted, then ducked quickly as the second Quaffle made its way towards the goalpost he was guarding. Frantically, he grabbed for the red ball but missed miserably, managing to almost fall off his broom in the process. Ron gritted his teeth and swore as he shakily regained his balance and went for the next Quaffle. Knowing full well that he had a spectator, the nervous redhead missed again and – in a sudden bout of clumsiness – almost collided with the goalpost.

There was no point in going on. Not with a spectator, Ron thought miserably, and with a defeated flick of his wand he lifted the enchantment from the Quaffles and flew down to face the source of the disruption.

**x**

"Parkinson!"

Pansy rolled her eyes. It seemed as if the whole school had taken to call her by her last name. Pushing up her chin defiantly, she glared up at the approaching figure. "What? You know that…" Her jaw dropped for a second time this day. "Weasley? What are _you _doing here?"

His face turned bright red as he landed right next to her. "It's called playing Quidditch," Ron snarled, enraged at the smirk that suddenly lit up the Slytherin girl's features.

"Oh really?" She batted her eyelashes at him. "And here I thought it's called 'Let's not catch the Quaffle'."

"Ha. Bloody. Ha," Ron scowled. "Shouldn't you be hiding in the castle or something? I thought you snakes didn't like the cold."

"Shouldn't _you _be with the other nice kids? After all," she gave another of those infuriating smirks, "it's not like training is going to improve your performance. You simply lack the skill for the sport."

Surpassing red, Ron's face turned a livid purple. "What do you know about Quidditch anyway? As far as I can recall, skill has never been a requirement on the Slytherin team." Ron shot her a look that spoke of pure hatred. "Or how would you explain that Malfoy ever made it onto the team?"

The smirk vanished abruptly and her pale cheeks flushed in anger. "Draco is _very _skilled!"

"Just not at Quidditch, right?"

"He has more talent in his little toe than you in your whole body, Weasel!" Pansy screeched in a shrill voice. "He's…he's…" Her voice trailed off uncertainly as she watched her breath turning into little ice crystals. Pansy's heart began to beat frantically, and her breathing quickened in fear. "What's happening? Weasley, what have you done?" Her voice rose in panic.

"I…nothing," Ron started shivering. It felt like drowning in ice water, like freezing from the inside, like…like being robbed of every positive feeling you've ever felt. Ron's throat went dry. "No."

"N-no?" Pansy, oblivious to Ron's reaction, started trembling. "What 'no'? There's no place for a 'no'. There's…Weasley! Let go!"

Ignoring her struggles and protests, Ron grabbed the girl's arm and started dragging her away. "We need to leave. We…stop hitting me, Parkinson!"

"No!" Pansy screamed and hit him again. "Get your filthy hands off me, you brute! You barbaric…!"

"Parkinson!"

"- filthy, Muggle-loving-"

"Parkinson, listen to me!"

"- ugly, pea-brained-"

"Pansy, shut the hell UP!" Ron roared and caught her fists in his hands. "Shut up and _listen_, for Merlin's sake!"

"-oaf," she finished in a small, defiant voice. Still trembling, Pansy held her breath and listened. And listened some more. Despite the terrible fear that twisted her insides, the brunette glared up at the tall Gryffindor. "I don't hear anything, Weasel."

"That's the point," he said in a hoarse voice. "We need to _leave._ Now."

"What does that…? Oh no, don't you start dragging me away again!"

"Pansy! Come _on _before they…"

Both teens froze as a slow, rattling breath broke through the silence.

"Oh, bloody hell."

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**xxXxx**

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	6. Chapter 0402 A Day Among the Thestrals

For **disclaimer **please see prologue.

**A/N**: Please forgive my lack of updates but I was a bit sick and not really able to form a coherent thought. I am perfectly fine again now, which means that the next chapters will be coming weekly once more now. Thank you all for your support and merry Christmas to you:)

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**_Chapter 04: A Day Among the Thestrals part 02 _**

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Ron Weasley recoiled in barely concealed fear as he stared up at the misty sky. "Oh, bloody hell."

"I second that," Pansy agreed in a thin voice and grabbed his arm for support. "Let's get away from here."

"Right," Ron breathed. Ron took back a slow, tentative step – as if being afraid that making too much noise would alert the pair of dementors to their presence - and then another one. Flying off was not an option, since the risk of feinting and falling to their deaths was simply too high. Therefore there was only one way out from the spectator's stands – the narrow staircase at the end of the long benches. "Follow me," Ron whispered and grabbed her hand. "We need to…"

"No!"

Ron turned to the Slytherin girl. "We _have _to! We…"

She shook her head violently, sending her short brunette hair flying. "It's blocked," Pansy breathed in a shaky voice and pointed to the dementor which had landed ion front of the small door. "We're trapped. We're…oh Merlin, stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it." She hid her face in her hands and sobbed soundlessly as long-repressed memories overwhelmed her.

**x**

Ron swore. "Parkinson, get a grip. You need to keep it together now!" This, of course, was easier said than done since his own knees were trembling with fear. "Pansy…"

Ron swallowed hard as he suddenly found himself back inside Hogwarts castle, fighting the invading Death Eaters; Hermione, Neville and Luna by his side. There was so much chaos. And Dumbledore died and…"No!" The Gryffindor shook his head as if trying to shake off the painful recollection of those traumatic events. "This is just a memory! It can't hurt me!"

**x**

Ron was surprised to find himself on his knees, still clutching his beloved broomstick in one hand. With trembling fingers he did the one thing he should have done from the very beginning – he took out his wand. "Ex-expecto…" A feeble mist shot out of his wand, only to vanish an instant later. "No, no, no, no, no…," Ron muttered with growing panic. This couldn't be happening! He couldn't…

A soft whimper reached his ears. "Pansy?"

The girl lay motionless on the ground, whimpering quietly. Ron's eyes widened as he noticed the dark figure that stood…hovered…whatever, next to her and bent down to…

In an unexpected rush of adrenaline Ron suddenly found himself on his feet again, running directly at the dementor. "_Expecto patronum!_"

A silvery-white mist shot out of his wand and formed a translucent Jack Russell terrier. "Get them!" Ron shouted and the dog charged while Ron came to a screeching halt next to the barely-conscious girl. Ron clumsily cradled her against his chest as his Patronus chased off the remaining dementor in a most satisfying way. Ron, feeling not a little proud of himself, smiled, then more or less gently brushed the girl's hair out of her face. "Pansy. Pansy, are you awake?"

She moaned quietly and blinked. "Do you honestly think I'd answer you if I were unconscious?" she whispered and rested her head against his chest. "Stupid Gryffindor."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you're welcome."

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**xxXxx**

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"Sitting in front of the fireplace in the common room with a warm, comfortable blanket." Hermione Granger spoke into the growing darkness of the Forbidden Forest.

Next to her Theo thought hard before replying. "Reading a good book and wearing some of Pansy's self-knitted woolen socks."

Hermione stopped and looked quizzically at the Slytherin. "Parkinson knits?"

"Only socks. She takes socks very seriously."

"Not unlike Dobby," Hermione smiled and – upon seeing the confused look on Theo's face – she added, "One of those poor souls who are enslaved by our society."

Nott blinked at her and eloquently said "Huh?"

"A House elf, Nott!"

"But they're not en-"

Hermione bristled. "Are you trying to tell me that House Elves like being used that way? Without proper insurances or sick leaves or old-age pensions?"

Theo regarded the girl next to him as if she had suddenly grown a second head. "Erm…yes?"

"Yes?" Hermione grew agitated. Just when she had convinced herself that the Slytherin might be somewhat tolerable, he went and said something like that. "You can't be serious! Have you ever heard of S.P.E.W.?"

"Spew?"

"Not _spew, _S.P.E.W." Hermione proclaimed very slowly as if speaking to a little child. "The Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare."

Theo gave her a dubious look and quietly put a hand on her forehead as if checking for a fever. "Are you all right, Granger? Should we take a rest?"

She frowned. "Your social conscience isn't very strong, is it, Nott?"

Theo gave her a lopsided smile. "My conscience isn't very strong per se."

She rolled her eyes and huffed. "I noticed that. Speaking of noticing, don't you think this place looks kind of familiar?"

Theo looked around and swore in a way that made Hermione blush in indignation and hiss a sharp admonishment at him. "It looks familiar, all right. Because we've been here before." He sighed in defeat. "We've been walking around in circles for the past hours."

Hermione bit her lower lip in frustration and peered into the growing darkness. The fog had intruded further into the forest and she could hardly see any further than a few trees. It had also grown significantly colder and she was very grateful for the additional warmth that the aggravating Slytherin next to her provided.

"What do we do now?" Theo asked, giving their surroundings a look that spoke of deepest loathing.

Hermione grinned despite their dire situation. "We should stay here and wait."

"Wait for what? For the werewolves to find us?"

The Gryffindor gave him a patient look. "There are no werewolves in the Forbidden Forest."

"Are too."

"Are not and…"Hermione took a deep breath. "Look, Nott, there's no point in going on. We'd only walk around in circles or – even worse – manage to stumble even deeper into the forest. Under these circumstances, considering the growing fog and the fact that we can hardly discern where we're going, the logical option is to remain here and wait for the teachers to find us. Anything else would be a waste of energy."

Theodore sighed beside her. He knew she was right, but spending a prolonged amount of time in the Forbidden Forest – _without _his wand, mind you! – did not sit well with him. He gave her a pitiful look. "But what if the werewolves find us first?"

"Nott," Hermione started complaining in an exasperated voice, then stopped as she saw his grin. "You're just doing this to annoy me, right?"

"Right."

Hermione rolled her eyes and nestled deeper into the cloak. It really had grown remarkably cold.

**x**

**xxXxx**

**x**

"They're gone!"

Minerva McGonagall had been enjoying a quiet day. So far, at least. "Who's gone?" she asked wearily as she peered over the wires of her square spectacles.

The two men in front of her, breathing heavily as they had just ran through the corridors of Hogwarts and barged into McGonagall's office, was Hagrid and Professor Slughorn, whose face was still remarkably purple from the effort.

"Theodore Nott!"

"Hermione Granger!" The men panted simultaneously.

Minerva raised an eyebrow. "Together? I find that rather…unlikely."

"Well, they did. And I was only gone for a minute and when I came back they were gone and…" Hagrid started, only to be interrupted by an agitated Horace Slughorn.

"They had detention and were supposed to…"

Minerva pinched her nose against the impending head-ache and then held up her hands. "Gentlemen. _Gentlemen._"

They kept chattering.

Minerva sighed and closed her book with a loud snap. "GENTLEMEN!"

That shocked both of them into silence, Minerva noticed with a hint of a satisfied smile. "Now, let's start again from the beginning." She quickly held up her hands again as Hagrid and Slughorn opened their mouths. "One _after _the other. Horace, what happened?"

The small, chubby professor moaned melodramatically. "They were serving detention near the Forbidden Forest and then…"

Hagrid noisily wiped his nose on a large, spotted handkerchief. "I was only gone for a few minutes and when I came back they were gone! They must have…"

"Yes, yes," Slughorn interrupted the other teacher, "There's really no other explanation for this. They must have gone into the Forbidden Forest."

Minerva sighed. This made no sense. She knew Hermione Granger and she knew without a doubt that the girl was far too sensible to do something that stupid. And even if something had driven her into the forest Hermione knew enough spells to find her way out again. If something hadn't prevented her from using that knowledge, that is, the Head Mistress thought with a growing feeling of fear in the pit of her stomach. She raised her eyes and fixed Slughorn with a stern glare as the short man nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Anything you'd like to add, Horace?"

He stopped guiltily. "Well, Minerva, actually there is." He laughed nervously. "You know, they didn't want to co-operate at first, so I put a Connecting Charm on them and..erm…"

"And _what?_" Minerva asked in a low voice and slowly raised herself from her chair.

"And…I kind of…I…I confiscated their wands."

The Head Mistress fell back onto her chair. "Are you telling me that two of our students are out in the Forbidden Forest? Since the morning? With no wands and no means of protecting themselves? While we're expecting Death Eater attacks every moment?"

Slughorn and Hagrid looked defeated. "Well, yes."

Minerva closed her eyes. "Merlin," she moaned, "as if we didn't have enough problems." She pressed her lips into a thin line and forced herself to remain calm. Worrying didn't solve problems, acting did. She sighed heavily before addressing her colleagues again. "Well, at least it can't get much worse than that, right?"

At the exact moment the door was slammed open a second time and a rather wet and terrified looking Ronald Weasley (followed by Pansy Parkinson, who looked just as miserable) came in, dripping mud all over the carpet.

"Professor McGonagall," he panted, "There are dementors on the grounds!"

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	7. Chapter 05 Tension

_**The Importance of inter-House Unity **_

_**Disclaimer: **_This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros. Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_**A/N: **_Admit it, you didn't think this would be completed, eh? Quite frankly, neither did I. After reading DH and wracking my brain how to make this story compatible with it I was about to give it up. Then I discovered my new fondness for AUs. From this moment on, ladies and gentlemen this story includes canon up to HBP and ignores the rest.

I hope you enjoy this nevertheless (and thank you all for your wonderful support, of course!) and forgive me my horrible lack of updates.

**oOo**

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**oOo**

"I say we should move."

Hermione rolled her eyes and groaned in protest. They've been through this before. At length. "Move _where, _Nott?"

"Anywhere. Just sitting around is making me twitchy," the Slytherin replied and, as if to emphasize his point, started fidgeting again.

Hermione, who was still sharing a cloak with him and was getting thoroughly rustled by his twitching, glared, then grabbed the collar of his shirt to keep him from moving. "Sit. Still."

"But…"

"Sit."

"I _am _sitting, Granger," Theo replied, the dark and chilly atmosphere obviously putting a considerable strain on his nerves. "We've been sitting in this stupid clearing on this _stupid_ tree trunk for hours now and quite frankly, I'm getting the feeling my arse is freezing to the bloody tree."

Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation. And she used to think that Ron could be difficult at times! "And what," she said in a carefully controlled voice, "Do you suggest?"

"We move before we're frozen. Let's walk a bit. Keep our muscles warm."

Hermione groaned, though the sound came out decidedly shaky as her teeth started chattering. "A-and again I-I ask – move _where? _D-did the fact that we're practically stuck in the middle of nowhere? We'll get lost!"

Giving her the most annoyed look he'd managed so far (and that alone was quite a feat since, in the course of the day, Theo had managed to pull off some rather impressive pouts and scowls), Theo put an arm around Hermione and pulled her closer. "Y-you're shaking like a leaf."

She sniffed and nestled into his embrace, determined to deny this action for the rest of her life. "We'll get lost," Hermione mumbled into Theo's jumper, a small part of her incredibly glad that it was Nott she'd been assigned to and not some other Slytherin such as Crabbe or Goyle.

"We can't get any more lost than we already are."

Hermione, remembering her adventures with Harry and Ron, grinned. "Oh yes, we can."

Their eyes met for a moment, then Theo shook his head. "I don't want to know."

She grinned, and leaned her head back on his chest, listening to the Slytherin's heart beat. Somehow, the fact that he did have a heart beat at all was reassuring. That, Hermione smiled, and the fact that he didn't suffer from dandruff or bad hygiene. That would have made sitting this close decidedly unpleasant.

**oOo**

"I'm coming with you!" Ron and Pansy shouted, both wearing an equally mulish expression.

Minerva McGonagall sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Mr. Weasley. Miss Parkinson."

Ron stuck out his chin defiantly and opened his mouth to protest but the Headmistress, anticipating his intention, was faster.

"I have no intention of endangering any more students, so no, you will both be staying here." She placed the palms of her hands on the desk, giving the teenagers a stern look. "None of you are trained to deal with a situation like this and quite frankly, I'm expecting you to try and make things easier by cooperating. I will get them back."

"You'll get your precious little teacher's pet back," Pansy snarled, startling Ron with the unexpected venom in her voice. "What about Theo? He's just a Slytherin and _those _can be neglected, right? Like you neglected Draco?"

Minerva blinked, taken aback. "I don't…this is not the right time for this. I assure you, Miss Parkinson, I do not value any student more than another."

"Of course not," Pansy snorted and shook her head. "Wasn't it bloody obvious last year that something was wrong with Draco? Everyone noticed it but you ignored it and now I've lost a friend because of that and I swear to Merlin, I'm not losing another friend because you _don't. Care!_" Her voice trailed off shrilly in a hysterical cry and to her complete and utter embarrassment, hot tears started running down Pansy's cheeks.

She took a shuddering breath and absentmindedly accepted the dirty, spotted handkerchief a completely surprised Ron handed her. "My best friend is out there with the dementors. Do you even have the slightest idea what will happen if he runs into them?"

Minerva pressed her lips together, a gesture she was finding herself doing more and more often lately. The thing was, she thought ruefully, that if the Malfoy boy had gotten more attention things _might _have turned out differently. And yet…despite the fact that her heart went out to the girl who'd been acting more humane and compassionate than the Headmistress had ever seen before, despite that fact her position as Head of the school did not permit her to show any sign of weakness during a crisis. "This, Miss Parkinson, is the exact reason why we have no time to lose. I won't lie to you and pretend that the situation isn't dire but it's certainly not hopeless."

Pansy's hands twisted around the handkerchief, silent tears running down her cheeks. "It will be if Theo runs into the dementors."

Ron, as pale as Pansy with fear, awkwardly patted the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry. Hermione can produce a Patronus. She'll keep him safe," he said, pride obvious in his voice. "If anyone can find their way out of this, it's Hermione."

Pansy's shoulders slumped down in relief and the beginnings of a grateful smile formed on her face when a sudden howl of despair startled her.

"No, she can't!" Hagrid cried, sounding like a wounded dog. "They don't have heir wands!"

A moment of ringing silence followed that statement.

And then all hell broke loose in the Headmistress' office.

**oOo**

"You can't be serious." Theo stopped in mid-movement and gave Hermione an incredulous look.

"Don't be silly. Why not?" The Gryffindor, who'd spent the past quarter of an hour watching Nott – who'd stubbornly insisted that he needed to move – run laps around their tree trunk, said in a dead-pan voice.

"Because we're in the middle of nowhere as you so kindly pointed out," Theo snapped and resumed his laps.

"And? Do you know any better way to spend the time?"

Theo huffed but remained silent, making Hermione roll her eyes in exasperation.

"Nott. Come and sit down again. Watching you do these silly laps is making my neck cramp up."

"Don't watch me then."

"Theo. Your lips are turning blue again. Be sensible, sit down and conserve your strength."

"I'm not cold," he insisted, the chilly air of the early evening making his breath come out in puffs of white clouds.

Hermione sighed and rubbed her eyes. A whole day without food (not counting, of course, the few half-squished Chocolate Frogs Nott had so gallantly shared with her, claiming once more that his upbringing would not allow him to see a woman go hungry) and only the cold water from a little stream a few paces away as drink, her patience was wearing thin. "Theodore. Does annoying me give you such immeasurable pleasure or is it just that common sense completely eludes you? We don't know what will happen or when we'll be found. We'll need our strength tomorrow and you wasting it on a whim is the epitome of stupidity!"

He halted in his tracks, his velvety voice dangerous. "Whereas it's pure brilliance to worry about our bloody assignments while we're stuck here!" He sneered, suddenly the perfect picture of a snobbish, elitist Slytherin. "Or is it just that a sense of reality completely eludes you?"

"I am perfectly aware of reality!" Hermione shot up from the trunk, her hands balled to fists, irrationally relieved to find a way to work out the ever-growing tension that accumulated during that disastrous day.

"Could have fooled me," Theo snapped, absentmindedly flicking his dark bangs out of his eyes as he closed in on her.

"Doesn't take much, apparently." Hermione hissed, mirroring his movement and quite suddenly they found themselves only a fraction apart, their eyes locked in a stubborn (and quite possibly childish) battle for supremacy.

The words she meant to throw at him died on Hermione's lips as she felt his hair brush against her forehead and she heard him catch his breath, suddenly no longer bothered by the cold as the angry tension made way to something different, not less intense but far more dangerous to either of them.

Surrounded by the eerie fog that had followed them the whole day, each breath sounded artificially loud in the unnatural silence that surrounded them. The slightest of breezes picked up almost noiselessly and hesitantly, almost shyly Theo reached out to brush a stray strand of hair from Hermione's face, his hand lingering on her cheek just a fraction of a second too long. Hermione held her breath, her heart beating rapidly while her brain raced to catch up with her instincts. They were…could this really be? Was he going to…?

Her eyes closed and she leaned in to meet him half-way.

**o**

And then, with a sound that made her insides freeze, Hermione was suddenly doused in cold. Goose bumps covered her arms and legs and before she really knew what was happening, her instincts – honed by far too many battles – kicked in.

"Run!" the Gryffindor shouted, backing away a few steps. Now, that her brain was fully functioning again she easily recognized the source of the milky fog that seemed to thicken by the second long before she heard the rattling breaths that heralded the arrival of the dementors. "Theo!"

His raised his chin a fraction and shivered, though his eyes remained unfocused.

"Theo!" Hermione grabbed the sleeve of his jumper and tugged, trying to fight the growing panic as she watched a thin layer of ice silently creep closer, engulfing the tree trunk they'd sat on before moving closer. "Nott! Snap out of it!" If only she had her wand! "They're almost here. Come on!"

The sheet of ice crept closer, followed by the fog and in the dim light of the early evening Hermione could make out the shadowy silhouettes of the dementors. They were getting ready to come out into their clearing!

Theo's breath came rapidly as the Slytherin was obviously caught up in whatever painful memory these monsters managed to drag up from the depths of his soul. Hermione shivered and tried to suppress the sounds of battle that were becoming louder with every second. There was Tonks screaming and Harry and…and someone speaking _Italian?_

Ironically, that confusion was enough to make Hermione's mind snap back to the present and, deciding that the time for finesse had long since passed, she took a deep breath and drew back her hand.

Theo's cheek immediately reddened under the force of the slap Hermione had just given him but apparently it had done the trick. The Slytherin's eyes focused on her, then flickered to the dementors and almost immediately he started swearing.

"Let's get out of here," Hermione gasped and started running toward the dark wall of tress. They had no other choice. If they wanted to keep their souls they would have to run. And the only place left for them to run to was deeper into the Forbidden Forest.

**oOo**

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**oOo**

Feedback is very much appreciated :)


	8. Chapter 06 A Light in the Dark

_**Disclaimer: **_This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros. Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

_**A/N:**_. Thank you all so much for your support. I enjoyed reading your reviews to an almost unhealthy level and I'm incredibly glad you decided to give this story a chance despite its AU-ness. Seriously, each comment you've left me makes me ridiculously happy, inspires me to write more and – most importantly – I believe it helps me write a better story. **Thanks soooooooooo much! **

**oOo**

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_**The Importance of inter-House Unity**_

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_Part 06 – A Light in the Dark _

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**oOo**

Hermione barely brought up her arms in time to keep the branch from smashing into her face. Instead she received a painful slap over the palm of her hands that left an angry red line behind. Still, she did not slow down.

"Over there!" Hermione pointed into the darkness and kept running, ignoring the way the muscles in her legs protested. It felt like they'd been running for hours though it couldn't have been much more than a few minutes. However, even with the adrenaline rushing through her body Hermione could feel her sides starting to ache from the exercise and her lungs burn with fatigue. This wasn't what she was made for, she thought angrily. She was the thinker of the group. She planned things and thought them over. She definitely wasn't an athlete and this was far too athletic for her tastes.

"Look out!" Nott's voice forced Hermione's mind back to the nightmarish present as his hand closed around her arm and kept her from falling. Swearing, the Gryffindor stumbled and hit her knee hard on a stone, rock – whatever – she had no chance to identify it as Theo dragged her forward relentlessly.

She looked back and saw the mist following them, an icy messenger of the horror that was hunting them. Hermione winced involuntarily and tried to push her legs to go faster. To push her body forward. To…

Suddenly there was something holding her back, grabbing her ankle in the darkness. Before she had a chance to gasp in surprise there was a horrible snapping sound and she fell. A sharp jolt of pain shot up her leg and she momentarily found herself misty-eyed from the pain. "The-!"

The name died on Hermione's lips as her body was launched forward roughly and she let out a startled cry as her journey was halted by some undergrowth that got tangled up in her hair and scratched her face.

"What the..?" Nott's voice was a mixture of fear and anger. "Granger? Why did you stop? Why…oh, bloody _hell!"_

"Theo?" Hermione looked backward nervously. The fog was advancing and though it may have been the fear speaking, she was sure she felt the air grow colder with each passing second. "It's…" she groaned in pain as she tried to push herself into a sitting position. "It's the Binding-Charm. It's keeping us from moving too far away from each other," Hermione gasped with clenched teeth.

She heard Nott swear under his breath and a moment later he was by her side, looking pale but determined.

"Come on, Granger," he said, pulling her back on her feet. "We haven't got all night."

However, the moment he released her shoulders, Hermione's foot gave in and she found that her injured ankle couldn't support her weight. Instinctively, she clung to the closest thing she could get her hands on, which – incidentally – happened to be Theo's torso. Luckily _his _instincts seemed to tell him to hold on and automatically his arms tightened around Hermione's waist, keeping her from falling a second time.

"Don't tell me you're hurt," he whispered, his voice shaking ever so slightly.

"I'll manage."

He gave her a dubious look. "Can you stand?"

"Yes," Hermione nodded and the arms around her waist loosened their grip. Immediately, she faltered and Theo caught her again, swearing with a bit more gusto than before.

"Hold on," he ordered and somehow managed to push her on his back. "I'll carry you."

"Theo," Hermione sighed and shook her head. "You can't carry me. I'll slow you down."

"Do tell," came the sarcastic reply as he made a few tentative steps forward.

"Nott."

"Not now," he gasped, finding that Hermione sure wasn't as lithe as she looked. However, the Slytherin continued on, ignoring the beads of sweat that slowly made their way down his forehead.

"Damn it, Theodore!" Hermione snapped and he groaned in annoyance.

"Can't you _ever _shut up, Granger? I'm trying to save our behinds here."

"I'm too heavy. You've got to leave me behind," she said, her voice almost pleading. Hermione knew full well that their chances of evading the Dementors had been slim in the first place but with her holding him back there really was no way to escape. "Maybe I can hold them back for a moment and you can…"

Theo stumbled and growled. "No."

"This is not the time to be noble!" Why didn't he _understand? _Stupid, stubborn Slytherin.

"I'm far from noble, Granger. Have you forgotten the Binding-Charm?" he snorted and Hermione felt the blood rush to her cheeks. In her mortification she had, indeed, forgotten about it. This wasn't like her. Swallowing the lump in her throat that rise up at the knowledge of what lay ahead for them; she found herself at a loss of words and closed her eyes for a moment. There had to be a way out of this. There always was and it was _her _job to find it. It was –

"I wouldn't have left you," he finally whispered, his soft voice sending a pleasant chill down Hermione's spine despite the circumstances. Ginny would be proud, she thought with a sad smile.

"Stop, Theo." Hermione whispered back. "There's no point in running."

"We're not running. We're _stumbling._"

"We're wasting energy," she reminded him gently and curiously enough she felt his shoulders shake with suppressed laughter.

"You got a better idea? A cunning plan, perhaps?"

Hermione smiled into his hair, her lips close to his ear. "Isn't that _your _area of expertise, Mr. Slytherin?"

Theo stopped, breathing heavily from the exertion. Slowly, he slid Hermione off his back and helped her sit down on the mossy ground. "Actually," he said as he, too, sat down. "Actually, I believe it is."

Hermione smiled sadly, her eyes flickering toward the fog. It had almost reached them. She sighed and took his hand. "And?"

"And what?" Theo asked distractedly, looking around for something.

"Your plan, Mr. Nott."

"My plan…" He kept looking and Hermione frowned. The fog had reached their feet now and once again she felt herself chilled to the very core as a sheet of ice crept closer.

"Theo…" she started but he waved her off.

"Hermione, when I tell you to close your eyes, you do it, ok?"

She blinked. "Why?"

"Just _do _it," Theo replied, sounding annoyed and apprehensive. "That's my cunning plan at work."

The ice crept closer and Hermione could hear the faint sound of battle. It was beginning. "And what if it doesn't work?" she asked, her voice sounding far too thin to her own ears.

"Then we kiss our souls good-bye," Theo grinned, though the fear was evident in his eyes. "Literally."

The fog was all around them now, wavering around their bodies, trapping them in a nightmare. Hermione drew in a shaky breath as the soles of her shoes were suddenly covered in ice. 'I'll never get to tell Harry and Ron how much they mean to me,' she thought as the sound of battle got closer. She raised her chin defiantly, determined not to go down whimpering when Theo's hand suddenly slid out of hers.

Dimly, she noticed that the Slytherin placed himself in front of her, holding up a random branch he'd picked up.

"Hermione," he said in a shaky voice. "Close your eyes. _Now!_"

**oOo**

Minerva McGonagall's eyes flickered to Slughorn's concerned face. Facing the Forbidden Forest the small congregation of teachers that had been chosen to search for the missing students found itself surrounded by an almost unearthly thick fog, their faces illuminated merely by the pale flittering light their Patroni provided.

She straightened her back and pushed her square spectacles up her nose before addressing her colleagues. "We'll go into the forest in pairs of two. Simultaneously, each of you will send out their Patronus, so we can cover more ground."

Minerva caught Nymphadora Tonks' eye and the other woman nodded. She was the newest addition to the staff of Hogwarts having joined them as the new DADA-teacher and right now their best hope of finding the children.

"If you run into problems – send up red sparks with your wands," the Headmistress continued tensely. "If you find them, you send up green sparks and the rest of us will be with you in a matter of moments."

Serious faces nodded in approval and Hagrid let out a strangled whimper. Ever since Hermione had helped him with the defence of Buckbeak the girl held a special place in the half-giants' heart. Minerva took a deep, steadying breath. With her intelligence and social conscience it was hard not to like Hermione Granger and for a fraction of a moment an icy fear gripped McGonagall's soul. What if they were too late? To lose such a bright and promising soul to the Dementors was…it was out of the question. The Headmistress pressed her lips together and drew herself up, presenting a perfect picture of authority. "Let's go!"

Eyes glittering with determination, she stepped toward the mass of dark trees that signalled the entrance of the Forbidden Forest when Slughorn's voice called her back.

"Minerva? What if we don't find them? You know as well as I do that this forest can go on endlessly."

Minerva's eyebrows drew together in a frown. "Then we search endlessly, Horace."

The small man wiped his forehead with a dotted handkerchief, then sighed. "You know as well as I do that we're looking for the needle in the haystack."

"All we need is a little luck," Tonks interrupted angrily, marching up to Minerva.

Horace sighed again. "What we need, is a bloody miracle."

**o**

It was exactly that moment when a sudden light broke from the middle of the forest, brightly illuminating the dark evening for a moment before fading back into nothingness. However, it had been enough. Minerva smiled.

"Looks like we've got our miracle, Horace. Let's get moving."

**oOo**

The silvery cat ran through the darkness, a mere blur to the human eye. It was determined to reach its destination as quickly as possible – no matter what. It crossed a startled fox that quickly retreated into the darkness, not being used to such behaviour. It ran through the undergrowth, past lively murmuring streams, over fallen tree trunks and moss covered-ground where it met the wolf and the opossum.

Never lessening their speed the animals shot forward past Aragog and his progeny, cutting off a surprised centaur in mid-stride until they came to an area where there was no more animal life and they knew they were close.

The ground was covered in a thin layer of ice and quite suddenly it saw _them._

_They _had come by the dozen and were circling their victims, gliding closer and closer until the first one reached the young man's limp body. It bent down and cradled the boy in its scaly, rotting arms like a lover's embrace. The hood fell from its head and it leaned in, intent on delivering its deadly kiss.

The cat hissed and jumped and the Dementors scattered immediately. For moments all was a blur of black and silver until the Dementors finally retreated into the darkness, taking with them the cold and the fog and before the first quiet sounds announced the return of the forest's inhabitants to the place the cat's wielder arrived.

**oOo**

"Chocolate!" Hagrid's voice boomed as the gigantic man broke through the undergrowth and kneeled by Hermione's side. "She needs chocolate."

Minerva sighed, oddly touched by the gesture. "She's unconscious, Hagrid. She needs to get back to Hogwarts." Her eyes went to Nott who lay face down on the ground. In contrast to Hermione, who was slowly coming around, mumbling incoherently about homework and assignments the Slytherin didn't even seem to breathe but lay perfectly still. A chill went down the Headmistress' spine and she shuddered. Could it be that they were too late? Had she lost the boy? Could she..?

"Theodore! No!" With a surprising agility for a man his size, Slughorn moved forward, as soon as his eyes settled on the Slytherin. He picked Nott up with unusual tenderness and turned him around, patting the boy on the too-pale cheek. "Come on, kid, wake up!" He whispered, shaking Theo's limp body. "Wake up, Theodore. I promised…" Horace drew in a shuddering breath, then his shoulders started shaking in quiet sobs. "I promised," he whispered. "I promised your father…"

But Theodore did not respond.

**oOo**

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**oOo**

**Preview: **We find out what really happened between the time the Dementors found Theo and Hermione and their rescue. Hermione says something wrong and makes Ginny suspicious. Horace Slughorn fights the ghosts of his past and Theo? We'll see about him… ;)

**A/N: **Feedback would be lovely! It really helps me to know what you want to see, what grips your attention or what leaves you unmoved. Thanks again for all your support :)

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